Ractopamine to return in Taiwanese meat

The Department of Health (DOH) in Taiwan plans to relax a ban on ractopamine
in livestock to permit low residue levels of the veterinary drug in pigs and
cattle.

According to a proposed revision to the DOH's standards for veterinary drug
residues, the maximum allowable level of ractopamine residue in pigs and cattle
would be 10 ppb in muscle and fat tissue, 40 ppb in the liver, and 90 ppb in the
kidneys.

If the proposal meets no objection by Aug. 21, the new
standards can be implemented at the end of the month at the earliest, DOH
officials said.

Ractopamine, marketed under the brand name Paylean, is a
phenolethanolamine s-adrenoceptor agonist that is used for the improvement of
weight gain, carcass leanness and feed efficiency in animals. It is already
permitted in 24 countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia
and New Zealand.